The present invention relates generally to equipment for the floor-care industry, particularly to automatic floor scrubbers, and specifically to automatic floor scrubbers including unique provisions for riding on the floor scrubber and having a narrow cleaning width that permits passing through doorways and other relatively narrow passages.
A common method of cleaning hard floors is with a scrubber/dryer. These machines consist of a clean solution tank with means to apply solution to the floor, an agitating means for cleaning the floor, a dirty solution tank, and a vacuum means to pick up the dirty solution from the floor after the agitation action. The tanks and other mechanisms are usually attached to some type of chassis, which also has provisions for the power source, wheels, and motivation requirements. Scrubber/dryers can be either walk-behind units or ride-on units. The power source for mostly all the walk-behind units comes from a battery pack, while the power for ride-on units comes from a battery pack on the smaller machines or an internal combustion engine on the larger machines.
Walk-behind scrubber/dryers predated the ride-on machines in the market. The ride-on machines were developed after customers who had large applicationsxe2x80x94e.g., warehouses, etc.xe2x80x94recognized the benefits of having floors cleaned with solution rather than just swept. The physical size of the application demanded the added productivity of a ride-on unit. So, whereas the early walk-behind machines were of a narrower widthxe2x80x94approximately 17xe2x80x3 to 20xe2x80x3xe2x80x94and then wider width machines were developedxe2x80x94approximately 26xe2x80x3 and 32xe2x80x3xe2x80x94the early ride-on machines were wide width machines, in the 50xe2x80x3 to 60xe2x80x3 range.
With the aging of the workforce, with many applications making aisle widths narrower to accommodate more usable space, and with increasing labor rates, there has, in the past five years or so, been a recognized need for ride-on machines of a narrower width. End-users who previously used walk-behind machines are now demanding the added productivity and efficiency of a ride-on unit, but in a package size that fits these smaller applications.
A number of ride-on machines have been developed to satisfy these needs. Certain of these machines include substantial metal chassis with front, rear and side channels to protect the tanks from damage in extreme environments, as many of the applications were more the likes of warehouses and factories rather than stores and supermarkets. However, a need has continued for a smaller ride-on machine, which can maximize its maneuverability for smaller, tighter applications. At the same time, it is important that the smaller ride-on machines have large tanks to be able to carry large amounts of solution, to avoid frequent stoppages for dumping and refilling.
The ride-on floor scrubber of the present invention overcomes difficulties described above and affords other features and advantages heretofore not available.
The riding floor scrubber of the present invention has, in its preferred embodiment, a relatively narrow 28xe2x80x3 cleaning width. While minimizing the size of the ride-on floor scrubber, the volume of the clean solution tank is also maximized by forming the tank into a U-shape in the back under the seat, to continue to run one of the legsxe2x80x94preferably on the left sidexe2x80x94to the front for the full length of the machine, and horizontally under the feet of the operator.
Further, the chassis is of the tricycle type with only a single front wheel so that the front of the chassis can be made V-shaped. This allows the solution tank to extend in first and second V-shaped areas on the opposite sides of the chassis for the full thickness of the chassis. This results in a substantial increase in the tank volume.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a riding floor scrubbing machine having common functionalities and operational mechanisms, but which is small enough and maneuverable enough to pass through narrower passageways, such as grocery store aisles and conventional doorways. It is a further object of this invention to provide a riding floor scrubbing machine that is sturdy, having a strong, metal chassis, and that provides sufficient protection to fluid storage tanks, even in extreme environments.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a smaller ride-on machine having large tanks to be able to carry large amounts of solution, thus avoiding frequent stoppages for dumping and refilling.
It is a further object of the present invention to position the batteries that power the ride-on floor cleaner so that they are accessible for maintenance purposes and replacement, and that the batteries are positioned relative to the wheels and the center of gravity of the machine to provide a stable operating condition, and consistent weights on each wheel.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to position the recovery tank so that contaminants may be thoroughly cleaned and flushed out of the tank to prevent bacteria and odors from developing. Thus, the recovery tank is intended to be as accessible and easy to clean as possible.